With the ever increasing cost of timber, the construction of domestic dwellings using timber-framed wall structures is causing a heavy financial burden to be imposed on new home buyers. Additionally, because of the high cost of labour required for the fabrication of timber-framed structures, there is a growing need for framing of a type which can be erected, using relatively simple assembly techniques, by non-specialised labour.
Past attempts have been made to meet these problems with the development of various types of metal-framed building structures, but such structures almost inevitably have proved to be more expensive than conventional timber framing. Consequently, the metal-framed structures have been employed predominantly under conditions where it has not been employed predominantly under conditions where it has not been convenient to erect timber structures or where other factors have outweighed financial considerations.
Three different types of metal-framed structures have been developed to this time; all-welded structures which are constructed in factory situations and which are then transported as complete sub-assemblies to sites of intended use, wall frames which are fabricated in factories other than by welding and which are constructed from large numbers of separate components to meet specific requirements, and so-called knock-down wall frames which are assembled at building sites and which desirably use a minimum number of separate components.
The present invention is directed to metal wall framing elements of a type which permit the erection of knock-down frames at a price which, having regard to other factors, is competitive with timber frames. This is achieved by the provision of a system which uses a relatively small number of separate component parts, and by interconnecting the component parts in such a positive way that the need for substantial bracing elements is minimised.